At first glance Erika Cavallini's look doesn't seem designed by, nor suited for, an Italian woman, at least as far as stereotypes are concerned. She doesn't comply to the sexy bombshell cliché associated with our national style, which, being a cliché, is more often than not quite wrong. When it comes to style, Italian women are definitely willing to take risks: Anna Piaggi, Miuccia Prada, Elsa Schiaparelli, are just a few bright examples of out-of-the-box characters. The list could go on.

Italy has always been a thriving market for avant-garde fashion, of the highest standard, of course. In the ’90s, Erika Cavallini's closet was one of the many bursting at the seams with the best of Comme, Yohji, Martin, Helmut, Raf, Véronique, and all the Northern clique. Its groundbreaking conceptual spirit has stayed with her, and she has been faithful to a streamlined, almost severe look ever since. Even if along the years it has softened considerably, it still retains a flawless, elegant precision.

For Resort, Cavallini played on clean, almost sharp lines and generous volumes, indulging in layering and ample proportions. Her style requires self-assurance, a love for masculine codes reworked into feminine shapes and for an exacting idea of comfort. Softness was sustained by structure, as in blazers depleted of any stiff construction that morphed into malleable shirts. Tucked into voluminous high-waisted palazzo pants, almost ample as skirts, they made for a strong proposition. Corsets were worn over a jumpsuit in masculine fabric, emphasizing the waistline, or over a Prince of Wales suit with a ruched skirt. Elsewhere, kaftans looked like elongated masculine shirts with billowing poet sleeves, while kimonos worn over sleek pajama suits were printed in almond green and lavender. They highlighted the sense of structured ease so crucial for the designer: “I always start a collection from what suits me best,” she said. “For me, there's nothing as important as the sense of freedom.”